บททั้งหมดของ The Shadow Husband : บทที่ 11 - บทที่ 20

"Good morning, Miss Claire. It’s good to see you back."Claire froze in the doorway of Central Café. The greeting did not come from a coworker who used to bully her. It came from a sturdy man in a neat suit standing guard near the entrance. Claire blinked, looking around at the café’s interior, which had changed completely overnight. The dull, drama-filled atmosphere of yesterday was gone, replaced by an elegant minimalist design that exuded high-end luxury.Several of her coworkers who used to glance at her with disdain now stood straight, straightening their new uniforms. As soon as they saw Claire, they bowed respectfully with very cautious expressions. There were no more mocking laughs or dismissive whispers."Why are you all looking at me like that?" Claire asked, feeling awkward as she tightened her grip on her bag.A woman who had once been the most senior barista approached with a forced smile. "The new manager gave instructions, Claire. Sorry, I mean Assistant Manager. Your o

"You keep staring at my hand, Claire. Is there something interesting about it?"Julian asked without taking his eyes off his plate. He cut the steak with precise movements, as if every slice required mathematical calculation. The atmosphere at the dining table felt incredibly thin, as if one wrong word could blow up the entire penthouse.Claire jumped, nearly dropping her fork. She quickly shifted her gaze to her glass of water. "I was just looking at the scar on your knuckle. It wasn’t there this morning before you left."Julian stopped cutting. He raised his right hand, examining the fresh, red scratch mark on his knuckle. "Oh, this. Just a small scrape when I was moving wooden crates at the logistics warehouse earlier. The wood was a bit rough."Claire swallowed hard. She knew Julian was lying. The scar did not look like a wood scratch. It looked like the result of a hard impact against something solid, possibly a person’s face. The memory of the defense ministry access card she ha

"Still brave enough to show your face here, Claire?"The shrill voice came from the back of the campus cafeteria, just as Claire stepped inside with a heavy textbook on economic law in her arms. She did not need to turn around to know who it belonged to.Whispers began to creep between the students’ tables, spreading like a suffocating fog. News of her marriage to Julian, the man labeled the Blackwood family’s disgraced grandson, had apparently not lost its appeal as gossip material.Claire tightened her grip on the book, lifting her chin slightly higher. She did not respond. Her steps remained steady toward the main library, a place she hoped would offer her some peace from her peers’ judgmental stares. To her, campus was supposed to be a place to build a future, not a circus arena for people too busy meddling in others’ lives.Once inside the library, Claire chose a table in the farthest corner, hidden behind shelves of international law in her mind. His promise to keep her safe fel

"Mr. Arthur, the board of directors is already waiting in the main conference room. Grandpa Silas is also present."Arthur’s secretary stood in the office doorway with a tense expression. Arthur, who was adjusting his silk tie in front of the large mirror, only smiled smugly. He stared at his reflection, looking powerful in a suit worth thousands of dollars. The blow to his pride from Claire’s rejection at the library yesterday seemed to be healed by his ambition this morning."Let them wait a little longer," Arthur replied, running his fingers through his hair to slick it back. "Today is the day I prove that I am the only rightful Blackwood heir. Not that loser Julian."Arthur walked out of his office with long, confident strides. He carried a tablet containing the presentation for the Blackwood-Tech project. This project was his ambition to digitize all the family’s assets, a move he claimed would double their wealth overnight.Most importantly, the project was fully backed by Vangu

"Who are you really, Julian? That investor, it was you, wasn’t it?"Claire’s voice trembled, breaking the silence inside the car that had just come to an abrupt stop on the side of the bridge. Her breathing was still ragged from the jolt of the brakes. She turned toward the driver’s seat, staring at Julian with eyes demanding the truth. The black van that had cut them off had already sped far away, as if only intending to give a physical warning that they were not alone.Julian did not answer immediately. He released his firm grip on the steering wheel, letting the engine purr smoothly. He turned slowly, looking at Claire with eyes that no longer held any false warmth. His face was blank, but his jaw was set tight."Are you sure you want the answer, Claire?" Julian asked. His voice was low, colder than the air conditioning filling the cabin. "Once you hear it, your life will never be the same again. There is no going back to being an ordinary student busy with the café.""I haven’t ha